Free Software is Useful

Free software is both versatile and effective in a wide variety of
applications. Because the source code is given, it can be tailored
specifically to an individuals needs… Something not easily
accomplished with proprietary software.

“As you well know, GNU tools are all over the place for the various space
missions. They are used extensively throughout the mission development,
test and operations phases. I wrote the DARTS dynamics simulator for
Cassini (spacecraft) several years ago and relied heavily on tools such as
GCC, GDB, Emacs, RCS etc. These and others are in use by many other
spacecraft missions including Galileo, Mars Pathfinder, New Millennium
etc. It is my personal belief that the FSF activities and software have
been a tremendous source of high quality tools which are readily
accessible and usable by the community.”

Abhinandan Jain
NASA engineer

Regarding graphics development for the “Titanic” movie
production:

“Using 200 DEC Alpha-based systems running the Red Hat 4.1
distribution of GNU/Linux, after upgrading the kernel to support the
PC164 mainboard, Digital Domain found a performance increase of three to
four over SGI systems. The combination of the GNU/Linux OS and Alpha
CPUs also delivered the most cost-effective solution to time and
processing demands.”

Daryll Strauss
Digital Domain

“The proper care of our cancer patients would not be what it is
today without [GNU/]Linux … The tools that we have been able to
deploy from free software channels have enabled us to write and develop
innovative applications which … do not exist through commercial
avenues.”

Dr. G.W. Wettstein
Cancer Center
Fargo, North Dakota

“Within three months, we demonstrated a product developed entirely on
[free] software, the core of which were the programming tools (GCC and
GDB) from the Free Software Foundation. Solid code, it was cross-platform
compatible with either Motif or Lesstif. Our satisfied customers
extended the contract and we won some corporate visibility in a very high
tech market …”

Ron Broberg
Systems Engineer
Lockheed-Martin

“[The Free Software Foundation's] high quality software makes our work
easier, and we value it greatly … Recently we have received some prizes
and monetary awards for our work. We believe we would not have received
these without your software.”